Graphics hardware acceleration method, computer program, and system

A video memory system for a computer system having a plurality of memory regions in which graphics primitives can be rendered by first and second graphics rendering accelerators, the first graphics rendering accelerator having overwrite preemption over the second graphics rendering accelerator, the memory system comprising:

• A) a first set of addresses of the memory regions for graphics rendering reserved by an operating system for the first graphics rendering accelerator;
• B) an overwrite protection lock table that stores the first set of addresses;
• and
• C) a graphics rendering selector which uses the second graphics rendering accelerator to render graphics primitives into memory regions with addresses that are not in the overwrite protection lock table and which forwards a rendering request to the operating system to use the first graphics rendering accelerator otherwise.

A method for use in a graphics system that enables an automatic choice between rendering a set of graphics primitives by a hardware accelerator controlled by an operating system and rendering the set of graphics primitives by a computer-executable, enhanced rendering program distinct from the operating system, the hardware accelerator comprising a hardware device, the method comprising:

• A) accessing a set of speed and accuracy characterizations of the hardware accelerator and a set of speed and accuracy characterizations of the enhanced rendering program;
• B) selecting a first subset of the set of graphics primitives to be rendered by the hardware accelerator and a second subset of the set of graphics primitives to be rendered by the enhanced rendering program based on a comparison of the sets of speed and accuracy characterizations;
• and
• C) storing the selected first and second subsets of the graphics primitives.

A computer program product comprising a computer-executable program embodied on a computer-readable medium for use in a graphics system that enables an automatic choice between rendering a set of graphics primitives by a hardware accelerator controlled by an operating system and rendering the set of graphics primitives by a computer-executable, enhanced rendering program distinct from the operating system, the hardware accelerator comprising a hardware device, the computer-executable program comprising:

• A) program code for accessing a set of speed and accuracy characterizations of the hardware accelerator and a set of speed and accuracy characterizations of the enhanced rendering program;
• B) program code for selecting a first subset of the set of graphics primitives to be rendered by the hardware accelerator and a second subset of the set of graphics primitives to be rendered by the enhanced rendering program based on a comparison of the sets of speed and accuracy characterizations;
• and
• C) program code for causing storage of the selected first and second subsets of the graphics primitives.